Detachable heel for footwear



March 9 1926. 1,575,664

l.. VAN ROY DETACHABLE HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR Filed August e, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l w v i??? n March 9 1926. 1,575,664 L.. VAN ROY DETACHABLE HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR Filed August 9, 1924 :5 sheets-Sheet 2 fil-11 El 24- gf Z1 Z3 @JQ/I 2 3 o 23 25 29 ze 2 29 L. VAN ROY DETACHABLE HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR March 9 1926.

3v Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed August 9, 1924 ECTZI] Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

LEOPOLD VAN ROY, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM;

DETACHABLE HEEL FCR Application led August 9, 1924.

To all fw from it may concern Be it known that I, LiioroLD VAN ROY, a citizen of the Kingdom of- Belgium,l and resident ofBrussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Detachable Heels for Footwear; and I do hereby declare the followingto'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and-to letters yor figures ofreference marked therein, which form a part-of this specification.

rl`his invention relates to improvements in detachable heels for footwear, 'made of'rubber or other resilient material andy cut or moulded so as to have preferably a concave-k securing' meansbeing of the bayonet joint type.

In devices of this type as hitherto suggested the ordinary lieelhad grooves with which hooks or ribs carriedby the rubber heel were adapted t'o engage the rotationy of the two elements the one relatively to `the other, these being afterwards separable by rotation inthe reverse direction.

These devices have however the disadvantage that the connection of the elements is notisuificiently assured, so that, after a short period `of use', the rubberheel is likely to bev displaced laterally during walking, from the heel of the footwear. Moreover, with these methods of attachment it is necessary to provide a special apparatus to prevent 'the relativc angular displacements ofthe rubber heel after it has been fixed in position.

The present invention obviates these defects by the use of a fixing device having large contact surfaces, and which at the same time automatically locks the rubber heel after it has been placed in position.

lVith this end in view the invention consists in a device in which one ofthe/'tvo members (the rubber heel or footwear heel) carries two projections in the form of cir cular segments, of approximately 90O and having a transverse section ofdovetail form, the said projections being adaptediwhen the Seriahlog- 731,226.,

rubber heel is placed inl position l to engager j with. grooves having lateral cylindrical 'faces formed inigtlie other elementi (footwear heelk or rubber heel) and'subsequently after the rotation of onemeinben relatively toithe other, tofengage withvg'rooves whiclrare a little deeper than the previous ones and havev asection 1 corresponding to that of' the projections. j n It is only after a rotation of the rubber which one ofthe elements is formed.

Another object of the present invention `isto `prevent all angular displacements ofthe rubber heel relatively to the footwear'heelby providing' projections at the-'bottom `1 of tliecavity in vwhich the pivot penetrates, the upper surface of thispi-votSbeing provided with recessed portions-with which the projections engage after the rubber heely isplaced in position. Y l

Othery details and advantages will be made clear hereinafter fromthe description taken in. .connection with `the accompanying drawings which are giveniinerely by way of.

example.

In the drawings,

Figurel is aplan yviewsh'owing a member which is fastened to the heel of the footwear and carrying apivot fory ixingthe detachable rubber hee-l *inposition.

Figure 2 is a section on lineQf-Q -ofFig' l. Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of-Figzl.

Figure a is a plan'view of a detachablerubber heel showing the recessv iii-which `the pivot is adapted to engage,

Figure 5 is a section on line 5,-5 of Fig. 1l, Figurev 6 is a section lon line 6 6' ofFig.v L Figure 7 is apartial section on the longi-V tudinal axis of an lordinary heel onwhich' a rubber heel is fixed in position.

Figure 8 is a partial section on alplanel passing through the center of the pivot and making an angle of'90o with the plane of Fig.V 7.

Figures 9, l0l and lllrela'te vto a mode of application of a device` according to the present invention to heels* 'of ladies footwear with round rubber heels, wherein,

Figure 9 is a view similar to Fig. l showing' the pivot and its Support and thel means for attaching the said supportvto the ordinary heel,

ico

Figure 10 is a plan View of a. round rub ber heel and its recess permitting its engagement with the pivot.

Figure 11 is a central transverse crosssectional view showing the rubber heel fixed to its support.

Figures 12 te 19 show, in figures corresponding to Figs. 1-8, another inode of carrying the invention into effect, in which the rubber heel carries the pivot which penetrates in a corresponding recess of the ineinber integral Vwith the footwear heel, when placed in position, and wherein,

Figure 12 is a plan view showing the device serving as a support for the rubber heel,

Figure 13 is a section yon line 13-13 of Fig. 12,

Figure 14 is a section on line 14t-1d of Fig. 12,

Figure 15 is a plan view of a rubber heel showing the pivot which penetrates in the support illustrated in Fig. 12,

Figure 16 is a section on line 1(316 of Fig. 15,

Figure 17 is a section on line 17-17 of Fig. 15,

Figure lSis a partial section on the longitudinal axis of an ordinary heel en which a rubber heel is held in position, and

Figure 19 is a partial section on a plane passing through the centre of the pivot and mak-ing an angle of o with the plane of Fig. 18.

Figures 20 and 22 are plan views showing the rubber heel in position on the footwear heel prior to rotation through 90 to the rubber heel thereto.

Figures 21 and 23 are sections cn lines 21-21 and 23-23 of Figs. 2O and 22 respectively.

Figs. 1 to 8 relate to a device for attaching a rubber heel, of the saine outline as an ordinary footwear heel to the latter.

Figs. 1 to 3 show the supporting element for the rubber heel, said support being fixed to the heel of the footwear.

It coinprises two parts :m

l. A piece of leather 1 having the saine outline as the heel of the footwear and provided with a hole having the shape of a ring surrounding a inctal plate hereinafter described. The piece of leather 1 is secured Vto the heel of the footwear by nieans of nails or of screws.

2. A plate 2 of nonoxidizable nietal coinposed of two sectors 3 of 900 each, the apices of which face each other. Holes l are provided in the sectors to receive screws for the purpose of fixing the plate 2 to 'the heel of the footwear.

The plate 2 carries at its central part a pivot 6 for a bayonet joint, the upper face 7 of which has two recessed portions 8 in the forni of sectors, which are situated above the corresponding sectors 3 of the plate and are liinited by two projections 9. rFhe bottorns of the recessed portions 8 are at the saine level as the upper face of the leather piece 1, so that the projections 9 of the pivot project above the latter (Fig. 2).

The lateral faces of the pivot are cylindrical along the recessed portions S, (Fig. 3), and are inclined or undercut along the projections 9 (Fig. 2) so that at these points the section of the pivot enlarges from the bottoni to the top.

The leather ring 1 is provided facing the projections 9, with projections 1? which are ievelled so as to forni an undercut edge as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

lietween the central pivot G and the leather piece 1 are provided on the one hand two grooves with lateral cylindrical faces (Fig. 3) on the outside of the recessed portions 8, and two grooves 3d on the outside of the projections 9 (Fig. 2) having a dovetailed section, the larger part of which is situated at the bottoni of the heel of the footwear. As can be seen from Fig. 3 the two sectors 8 of the plate 2 form the bottenis of the grooves 33 having lateral cylindrical surfaces.

Figs. il to G relate to the rubber heel 10. The latter is of the concave-convex type and illustrated in the drawings it has the saine outline as the heel on which it is to be fixed.

in the fixing device there is- 1. A ring consisting of four parts 11-11 and 12h12 separated by grooves 13 spaced SOO frein cach other and situated as shown in Fig. e.

The parts 11-11 are at a higher level than the parts 12h12. The inner and outer faces of the parts 11-11 are bevelled and are such that their larger section is adjacent to the heel of the footwear when the rubber heel is placed in position. The inner and cuter faces of the parts 12--12 are cylindrical.

2. At the central part corresponding to the upper part .7 of the pivot G there are arranged alternatelv with 900 sectors 14-111, sectors 15-15, such that the level of the sectors 1ei-1d corresponding to the elements 11-11 is not so high as that of the sectors 15 15 corresponding to the eleinents 12-12.

For placing the rubber heel in position the central parts of its ring slide on the pivot 6, when the axis 5 5 (see Fig. t) makes an angle of 900 with the axis 2-2 (Fig. 1) as illustrated in Figs. 2O and 21. ylhe larger' section of the parts 11-11 then cover the circular sectors of the plate while the parts 12-12, the height of which is less, penetrate into the grooves intended to later contain the parts 11H11.

fr rotation of 90 of the rubber heel 10 brings the latter int-o final position and fixes it upon the footwear heel, the parts 11-11 of which are dovetailed engaging, due to the resiliencyzof the substance of which the heel 'order to allovvan easy rotation of the rubber heel when fixing the adjacent parts of the recessed portions-8 `and projectionsQ ofthe pivot the angles of the tapered projectionsy 17 andthe side edges of the elements 11 11.are suitably designed as shown at 16 in Fig. land at 19 in Fig. 1.

Once the rotation is completed and the sectors loof the central part of the rubber heel are lodged in the corresponding recessed portions 8 8 ,ofthe` pivot 6, While the projections 9 9 of the upper part-of the said pivot have completely penetratedinto the recesses 111 offthe central-part ofthe rubber heel, and the ends ofthe parts 11 11 of the heelV have come into contact With the edges 34C. ofthe circular sectors 3, Which actas stops, the rubber heel is protected from any angular displacement after it has been placed in position. Due to the parts 12 12 'having a lesserheight than the parts 11 11, they bear by means of their top 12 upon the sectors 3 of the plate 2 (see Fig. 8): thus-preventing all hammering of the rubberagainst the heel of the footwear.

In order to remove the rubber heel from the footwearl heel-in order to replace it or. to interchange it with the rubber heel of: -tlie other shoe, so as to compensate the Wear according` as it is produced, the rubber heel is seized by its sides, andapull is exerted in suchza. manner as to raise it uniformly on all points.

Under the effect of the said pull, thev parts i of the central-part of the rubber heel. As` soon as the parts 11 11 are at a level withv thev upper part ofthe. sectors 3 3 of the plate 2, itis sufficient to impart a movement of rotation through a quarter of a revolutionto the rubber heel vin order to easily remove it.

Figs. 9 to 11 relate to anapplication of' the above described fixing devicev to a round rubber. heel. especially intended for ladies footwear. The saine parts have been designated by the same reference numerals. The parts con'iposii'ig th'e fixing device and the operation of said device being th'efsainel as those above described, it is not therefore necessary to describe them again.

According to this modification the positions oflthe grooves 33 and 341 such as hereiiibefoie described are reversed so that the grooves `33', having lateral cylindrical faces along which the introduction of the parts 11 of they vrubber heel take: place, are provided atthe places Where the thicknessv of materialof the support 1 is smallest.

The device illustrated in Figs; 12 to y19 is a modification of the above describeddevice. In this arrangement the rubber heel 2O (Figs. 15 to 17) has apivot 21siniilar to the pivot 6 which has been described and the heel ofthe'footwear is provided with airing 22liavingftwo upstanding parts 23 23lof`y bevelledsection (see Fig. 13) thevsinallerv section of which is situatedadjacent to the footwear heel. The parts 23 are intercon.` nected by means of the ring 22 (see Fig. 14) VWhich has section shapedportions as shoWniirFig. 12, the apices of which por-- tions face each other. Holes 26 permitlthey ring 22 to be fixed by meansv of screws or: the like to theY heel of the footwear.

The rubber heel 20- is recessedat its cen'- tral part in order to allow the penetration of thev fixing ring 22. Ati the centre is a pivot 21 having at its upper part two re* cessed portions and two projections similar to those described for the pivot 6', the projections 27 being arranged opposite grooves 31 Whichare of dovetailfsectien. Opposite the recessed portions 28 the centra-lirecess of= the heel has grooves 29 (see- Fig. 17) havingcylindrical side Walls, the bottoms 30 of which are ata slightly higherlevel than lthatof the grooves 31 (see Fig. 16) .i and the sidewalls of which diverge downwards, one of the walls beingforinedby the side face of the pivot/21 andthe other.y Wall by the.

tapered:projectionofther inner face ofthe groove opposite the projections 27.

)When the rubber heel 4is 'placed vin position i (seeFigs. 18 and 19), this being effected in the same manner as inY thev previous case and'asillustrated in Figs. 22 and23, the parts 23 of. the ring 22 penetrate into grooves 31 ofthewrubberJ heel Without their; upper surface coininginto co-ntactwviththe. bottom ofthe grooves so as not to harm the fleXibilityof therubber heel.: The projections 27 penetrate into the pierced recesses 35 existing betweenxthe parts 23 andthe plates 24:, While the recessed lportions128 rest on the said plates, the edges ofiwhich-act: as stopsffor. corners .32 of the rubber heel (see:` Fig. 17).

It is to be pointed out that: the'angular' displacement ofthe heel is also prevented by the ends-of. the parts 23 abutting againstheel is placed .in position.

Moreover thev grooves. 29. ac t as air Vcushions having'tlie plates 24'. for lids (see Fig. 19.). lVhen Walking, the air contained-iii the: said air` cushions `is compressed and expanded atthe same time as thepivot ofthe rubber heelin such a manner that the said grooves act-as shock absorbers While increasing the springiness of the heel.

rthe sidewalls ofthe grooves-31 When the I The fixing device being applied in a permanent manner upon the footwear heel may serve indefinitely; and has the following advantages l. Interchangeability at will and automatic placing` in position of the rubber heel whether the latter have an ordinary or round shape.

2. One and the same fixing device may serve either for securing a rubber heel of ordinary shape or for a rubber heel of round shape provided that engaging elements of the one` are equal and similarly arranged to those of the other.

Instead of comprising two pieces, a leather piece and a metal plate, the fixing device maybe moulded in one piece made either of aluminium or of another light and nonoxidizable metal or of a plastic material which is flexible, hardened and relatively light (vulcanite, for instance).

t. rlhe fixing device may also serve for securing pieces of suitable shape under soles ofL leather, wood, etc. of the footwear.

'lhe rubber heels, also act not only as shock absorbers but also for compensating the abnormal effects resulting from faulty walking.

The rubber heels of round shape and of concave-convex section adapted to the lixing device according to the present invention can, if the greater wear occurs, as actually is the case, on the outer edge of the heel at a point 450 from the longitudinal axis of the shoe, be shifted from the one shoe to the other, and attached, in the case of each shoe in two different positions by rotating it in opposite directions a quarter of a turn. In this manner the normal life of a heel is quadrupled. Also, in addition to their prop erty of acting as shock absorbers, they have a much firmer support than the rotating heels. Moreover they have not the drawback of the latter of being worn on their inner face owing to the continuous friction against the baseof the heel of the footwear.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member attachable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lateral cylindrical-faced grooves in the support member, other grooves in the support member having a dovetailed transverse section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when placed in one position on the support member, engaging in the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof, and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves.

2. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member attachable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lateral cylindrical-faced grooves in thc support member, other grooves in the support member having a. dovetailed transvers section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when placed in one position on the support member, engaging in the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof, and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves, a central pivot on the support member having lateral undercut faces constituting the inner of the said other grooves.

3. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member attac-hable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lateral cylindrical-faced grooves in the support member, other grooves in the support member having a dovetailed transverse section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when place-d in one position on the support member engaging the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof,

and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves, a pivot on the support member, recessed portions on the upper part of the pivot limited by projecting portions, a cavity in the heel member, recessed portions in the heel cavity, limited by projecting portions, the support member pivot being received in the heel cavity, and upon theI said rotation of the heel on the support member, the projecting and recessed portions ot the cavity respectively fitting into the recessed and projecting portion of the support member.

4t. A detachable'resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member at- Aachable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lateral cylindrical-faced grooves in the support member, other grooves in the support member having a dovetailed transverse section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when placed in one position on the support member, engaging in the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof, and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves, a pivot on the support member, recessed portions on the upper part of the pivot limited by projecting portions, a cavity in the heel member, recessed portions in the heel cavity limited by projecting portions, the support member pivot being received in the heel cavity, and upon the said rotation of the heel on the support member, the projecting and recessed portions of the cavity respectively fitting into the recessed and projecting portion of the support member, the recessed portions in the pivot being in the form of sectors.

A detachable resilient heel comprisino', a heel member and a support member, conllO tacting surfaces on the two members, matching projections and recesses in the surfaces in the form of circular segments, the projections and recesses of one member filling respectively in the recesses and projections of the other member when the heel is in operative position, thus preventing involuntary relative rotary movement between the heel and support members. y

G. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member attachable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lat-eral cylindrical-'faced grooves in the support member, other grooves in the support member having a dovetailed transverse section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when placed in one position on the support member, engaging in the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof, and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves, the projections on the heel member being annular segments of approximately 90".

7. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a heel member, and a support member attachable to a shoe heel, projections of dovetailed transverse section on the heel member, lateral cylindrical-faced grooves in the support member, other grooves in the support member having a. dovetailed transverse section which matches that of the projections, the projections of the heel, when placed in one position on the support member, engaging in the cylindrical-faced grooves thereof, and upon rotation of the heel, engaging in said other grooves, the projections on the heel member being annular segments of approximately 90, second projections on the heel member interspaced between the dovetailed projections on the heel member and having a rectangular transverse section of a. width equal to the most restricted width of the dovetailed projections, the lateral cylindrical faces and the inclined faces of the dovetailed grooves of the support member alternately corresponding with the faces on the heel projections.

8. A detachable resilient rubber heel comprising, a heel member and a support member, the heel member having two projections of dovetailed transverse section and two projections of rectangular transverse section, cooperating grooves in the support member for the heel projections, the dovetailed projections being higher' than those of rectangular section, recessed portions in the support member grooves limited by stop shoulders, whereby, when the two members are in operative position, the tops of the! dovetailed vprojections are received in the recessed portions of the supportl member, and the stop shoulders prevent involuntary relative angular movement of the heel and support members.

9. A detachable resilient heel, comprising, a support member, a central pivot on the support member, rectangular section grooves and dovetailed section grooves in the support member, one lateral face of each of which grooves is formed kby the pivot, a heel member, projections of rect-angular section and projections of dovetailed section, on the heel member, the projections of the heel member when in operative position on the. support member` fitting into the grooves of the support member and'constituting a bayonet joint connection between the members.

l0. A detachable resilient heel, comprising, a support member, a central pivot on the support member, rectangular section grooves and dovetailed section grooves in the support member, one lateral face of each of which grooves is formed by the pivot, a heel member, projections of rectangular section vand projections of dovetailed section, on the heel member, the projections of, the heel member when in operative position on the support member, fitting into the grooves of the support member and constituting a bayonet joint connection between the members, a cavity in theheel member, between the projections, for receiving the pivot of the -support member.

1l. A detachable resilient heel comprising, a support member, a central pivot on vthe member, a heel member, two projections on the heel member of rectangular section, two grooves in the support member of rectangular section to furnish a bayonet joint with the projections, sector shaped recesses in the top of the piyot and limited by projections, recessed portions in the heel member and limited by projections, the two memlbers when in assembled position, having the last mentioned heel member projections and recesses respectively cooperating with the last mentioned support member recesses and projections, whereby to hold the members in iXed angular position.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

LEOPOLD VAN ROY. 

